NPR 2010-05-27

BP has begun pumping heavy mud and concrete into its runaway¹ oil well in the Gulf² of Mexico. The so-called "top kill" procedure has never been attempted for a well in such deep water. President Obama, speaking earlier today, said there are backup plans if this attempt fails to stop the flow of oil.

"If it's successful, and there are no guarantees, it should greatly reduce or eliminate the flow of oil now streaming into the Gulf from the sea floor. And if it's not, there are other approaches that may be viable³."

The president plans to visit the Gulf Coast region on Friday to view cleanup efforts. Mr. Obama spent his day in California touring a company that manufactures solar panels as part of his effort to promote alternative forms of energy.

In Texas, the Environmental Protection Agency has begun taking over the permitting process of major air polluters including refineries⁴ and power plants. NPR's Wade⁵ Goodwyn reports from Dallas that the EPA is accusing the state of allowing more pollution than federal guidelines permit.

The EPA announced it is taking over the permit for a refinery⁶ in Corpus Christi that refines more than 200,000 barrels of oil a day. The action is likely a first step as the federal agency moves to take over permits for more than three dozen other facilities including those owned by Exxon, Dow, Chevron⁷ and ConocoPhillips. But the EPA objects to Texas's practice of issuing what the state calls "flexible permits" which allow industry to emit more pollutants⁸ than is allowed under the Clean Air Act. Texas has been issuing the permits for years, but the EPA looked the other way until the recent administration took over. The EPA has not yet taken over the state's entire permitting process, but that may come as soon as the end of June. Wade Goodwyn, NPR News, Dallas.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Kim Jong-il's regime in North Korea to end its provocations¹⁰ and policy of threats. From Seoul, Doualy Xaykaothao reports on Clinton's brief visit there.

Clinton visited the South Korean capital for less than half a day. She lunched with the foreign minister then met President Lee Myung-Bak. Afterwards, she told reporters she is confident in South Korea's leadership over the handling of the sinking of one of its warships¹¹.

"The international independent investigation¹² was objective, the evidence overwhelming, the conclusion inescapable. This was an unacceptable provocation⁹ by North Korea."

But North Korea denies any involvement. Through official state media, Pyongyang threatened war and military strikes and said it would cut all inter-Korean dialogue with the South. For NPR News, I'm Doualy Xaykaothao in Seoul.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 43 points at 10,000 in trading of six billion shares. The NASDAQ Composite Index is down eight points at 2,201. And the S&P 500 is down three points at 1,070.

This is NPR News from Washington.

The government of Iraq says state-owned Iraqi Airways¹³ is bankrupt and will be shutting down. NPR's Susannah George is in Baghdad.

Among the reasons given for closing the state-owned airline was a 20-year-old financial dispute with the Kuwaiti government that is yet to be resolved. The Kuwaiti government demands more than a billion dollars in reparations from Iraqi Airways for the alleged¹⁴ theft of a number of airplanes and spare parts when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. Just last month, following inauguration¹⁵ of an Iraqi Airways Baghdad-London flight, Kuwait tried to confiscate¹⁶ the first plane to land in London but was unable to because the plane was chartered from a Swedish company. Iraqi Airways doesn't own any airplanes. Its entire fleet is chartered. No time frame has been given for shutting down the airline. But officials say that the company will continue to operate until it is fully¹⁷ dismantled¹⁸. Susannah George, NPR News, Baghdad.

The US does not appear to be buying a pitch from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for improving the relations. The Iranian leader says President Obama should accept a nuclear fuel swap¹⁹ deal brokered²⁰ last week by Brazil and Turkey or risk having a friendship with Iran blocked forever. The White House says Iran is simply trying to avoid a new round of UN sanctions over the country's nuclear program, which the West fears it's aimed at acquiring nuclear weapons. The Iranian leader also accused Russia of giving in the US pressure for more sanctions.

Art Linkletter, the popular TV show host of the 1950s and 60s has died at age 97. Linkletter hosted the programs "People Are Funny" and "House Party". "House Party" started on radio in the mid-1940s and moved to CBS television for nearly 20 years.
 

1 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

4 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

5 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

6 refinery   

n.精炼厂，提炼厂

参考例句：

• They built a sugar refinery.他们建起了一座榨糖厂。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

7 chevron   

n.V形臂章；V形图案

参考例句：

• He wore shoulderstrap rank slides with sergeant's chevrons.他佩戴标示级别的肩章，上面有中士的V形标志。
• The chevron or arrow road sign indicates a sharp bend to the left or right.V形或箭头路标表示有向左或向右的急转弯。

8 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

9 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

10 provocations   

n.挑衅( provocation的名词复数 )；激怒；刺激；愤怒的原因

参考例句：

• We cannot ignore such provocations. 对于这种挑衅，我们不能置之不理。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They must immediately cease all their provocations. 他们必须停止一切挑衅。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 warships   

军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只

参考例句：

• The enemy warships were disengaged from the battle after suffering heavy casualties. 在遭受惨重伤亡后，敌舰退出了海战。
• The government fitted out warships and sailors for them. 政府给他们配备了战舰和水手。

12 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

13 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

14 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

15 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

16 confiscate   

v.没收(私人财产)，把…充公

参考例句：

• The police have the right to confiscate any forbidden objects they find.如发现违禁货物，警方有权查扣。
• Did the teacher confiscate your toy?老师没收你的玩具了吗？

17 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

18 dismantled   

拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消

参考例句：

• The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。
• The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。

19 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

20 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白